Popeyes returns to South Korea after two years of hiatus

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is finally making a comeback in South Korea after halting its operations for two years. The fried chicken fast food chain confirmed its return to the country on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

According to The Korea Herald, the American chain of fried chicken fast-food restaurants closed its stores in the land of the morning calm in December 2020. The company said at that time that it made the decision due to low sales and some issues with carrying the business.

For its return to the Korean market, Popeyes’ local operator NLC, a Silla Group subsidiary, said that the first restaurant is opening in a location near the Gangnam Station. The training of the outlet’s staff is set to begin on Monday next week.

The Silla Group signed a master franchise deal with Restaurant Brands International (RBI), Popeyes brand owner, earlier this year with the intention of opening hundreds of branches in the country. The first store is expected to be in full operation under the management of NLC before this year ends.

"We are thrilled to launch Popeyes with the Silla Group subsidiary. We have strong confidence in the group and are pleased to announce exciting plans to bring our iconic Louisiana-style chicken to one of the largest chicken QSR markets in the world," RBI’s president, David Shear, said in a press release at the time of the partnership’s announcement. "Our entry illustrates our commitment to serving more guests around the world and the execution of our growth plans for the Asia Pacific region."

Lee Eun Hee, a consumer science professor at Inha University, suggested that Popeyes’ return to the Korean market may be successful this time due to the “Westernization of the Korean people’s palette.” She added that the locals are also looking for cheaper alternatives to expensive steaks and meat as sources of protein, and chicken is now the best option.

Meanwhile, NLC is confident that customers will patronize the Popeyes brand again once it returned. "Chicken is one of the most loved food categories in Korea and we are proud to have brought back Popeyes. We also believe our aggressive expansion of the fried chicken restaurant chain can greatly contribute to the country's economy by creating new jobs," an official at NLC said.

Photo by: theimpulsivebuy/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)